Review: Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross came out in April and I am surprised it hasn’t had more blog time.  (Besides for a truly stupid crush on the part of our main character) it is great!

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.” (Good Reads).

• Originality: 7. These cursed teenagers face GRIMM fates (pun! Fairy-tale pun!) I like how we were introduced to the magic of Bon Rivage through teenagers complaining and teasing each other. Another plus, this was a darker read than I expected, and a heck of a lot better for it.
• Absurdity: 6. Still, it is absurd that people live out curses--Viv is a "sleeper" princess (a la Snow White, Sleeping Beauty) and Freddy is a "hero" who saves princesses-- with the last name Knight. Corny!  This teetered on the edge of too corny sometimes but the darkness of people's curses saved the read for me.
• Level of Paranormal Romance: 6. There is a cast of potential paranormal romantic interests in this book. Poor Freddie is like a handsome, earnest puppy. He totally deserves the Amy Adams princess from Enchanted.  Blue is intriguing from the get go, all emo and hilarious, and a character you want to figure out. The official love interest Felix, Blue’s brother, is one dimensional and Mila’s infatuation makes no sense. But being an excellent YA reader, I was ready for the twists—but they were still surprisingly swoon-worthy. You will be pleased, too! The low score reflects Felix’s boringness.
• Level of Harry Potter-ness: 4. This is a very easy read, not too much in the way of lit crit required.  Middle of the road YA writing. 

I feel like all those 6 grades don't do this book justice. I liked it, in spite of the corny bits.